Today, in mobile networks like GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), SMS (Short message Service) is used to send and receive short messages between mobile terminals. Currently a new messaging service, the so-called MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is being standardized, see 3 GPP TS 23.140 V4.2.0 (Release 4), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Functional description, stage 2. Contrary to SMS, MMS messages can contain multimedia elements, such as, for example, text, image, audio or video.
MMS is a peer-to-peer messaging service between two MMS User Agents which are both connected to an MMS Relay/Server. The User Agent resides either on a mobile phone, such as a UMTS-UE (Universal Mobile, Telecommunication Service User Equipment) or a GSM-MS (Mobile Station), or on an external device, such as a notebook/laptop, connected to a mobile phone, or even on a PC. The User Agent is an application layer function that provides the user with the ability to view, compose and handle the Multimedia Messages (MMs; the ending “s” is used throughout for plurals); e.g., submitting, receiving, delivery of MMs. The MMS Relay/Server is a network entity responsible for storage and handling of incoming and outgoing messages and for the transfer of the message between different messaging systems.
Mobile communication services such as the 2nd generation, (e.g., GSM), and the 3rd generation, (e.g., UMTS), use well-defined smart cards in addition to mobile phones. Plugged into a mobile phone, these smart cards enable a user to use the mobile communication service he/she has subscribed to. Moreover, user preferences and settings as well as user's personal information can be stored on such smart cards.
In GSM, these cards are called SIM (subscriber identity module). In UMTS, one distinguishes between the physical card which is called UICC (universal IC card; IC: Integrated Circuit), and its logical functionality, the USIM (UMTS subscriber identity module).
It is an aim of the present invention to find new and simple ways of handling and processing and/or evaluating MMS-related messages, particularly with respect to the needs of operators owning the above mentioned smart cards.